Automatic vehicle-fender.



PATBNTED NOV. 20, 1906.

A. 1. SMITH, JR. AUTOMATIC VEHICLE FENDERL AIfPLIOATION FILED DEO.13. 1905'.

121/120 nior vihdz 7 viii vs 4 THE NORRIS PETERS 50-, WASHINGTON, D. C. v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBA PARKER SMITH, JR, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ARTHUR A. MAXWELL, TRUSTEE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filed. December 13, 1905. Serial No. 291,528

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBA PARKER SMITH, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Venicle-Fenders, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawing representing like parts.

My invention relates to automatic fenders particularly adapted for use in street-railway cars, though equally applicable to all classes of vehicles.

The features of my invention will be best understood by reference to the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing of one embodiment of my inventionselected for the purpose of illustration, while'its scope willbe more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The figure shows an elevation of the right side 'of a car-platform and the fender attached thereto.

The structure of the platform and fender being alike on both sides, but one side is shown and described to avoid duplication.

As herein shown, the car-platform A is provided with a framework comprising depending front and rear supports or hangers 1 2, connected by a suitable brace 3, and said supports are secured to a transverse beam or bolster 4 5, connecting with the supports on the opposite side of the car.

A fender-carrier 6 is pivoted at 7 to and adjacent the lower end of each front hanger 1 and is formed with bearings carrying rollers or other studs 8 to support the adjacent side arm 9 of the fender and to enable it to be moved or slid lengthwise of the car from its front or operative position into the position indicated by dotted lines a a when not desired for use. The inner end of this arm has ahook end 10 to engage a cross-bar 11, secured to the rear hangers and to hold the fender in said operative position longitudinally, and yieldingly to maintain the carrier in a horizontal position with the fender elevated a spring 12 is interposed between the bolster 5 and said fender-arm. The outer end of the fender-arm is turned down, so as to benormally carried a few inches above pending bracket 13, carrying a roller 14, preferably of wood, adapted to run upon the ground or track when the fender is depressed.

The front of the fender is provided with a yielding buffer 15 to prevent injury to the person or object struck thereby in collision.

The pivoted carrier is also provided with a i may be drawn or carried, an additional stop 16 being provided on the fender-arms for holding it in the outer, or operative position in which it is normally carried.

When slid outwardly into operative, posi-,

tion, the fender is yieldingly held in a horizontal positionby meansof said spring and is prevented from beinglifted by the engagement of the cross-bar with the hooked ends of the side arms. The depression of the fender and carrier, however, is only limited by the contact of the roller with the track or ground, which brings the front of the fender and its attached buffer so close to the ground.

as to prevent objects of any size from slipping, thereunder. (See dotted lines cl.) In operation the front of the fender is carried at such a height from the ground as to upset or trip a person that is struck therebyv to cause him to fall on the fender, and said fender by being pivoted as described is automatically and immediately depressed upon striking any obstacle, acting as a scoop to pick it up or throw it onto the fender. In case, however, the obstacle is not picked up by the scooping action of the fender it prevents the latter from moving forward without sliding or rolling said obstacle with it, and as th'efender is pivoted by its carrier to permit only inward swinging thereof it is depressedautomatically the instant it strikes any obstacle in its path without the aid of the motorman or operator. In either case the fenderacts to prevent said obstacle or person from getting under the fender to be the ground, and adjacent to said end is a de- 1 run over by the car or vehicle. Said fender lock the fender outwardly or in operative position.

I claim 1. The combination of a vehicle-body, a pivoted carrier, a fender slidably mounted therein, and means to prevent other motion than a depressionthereof automatically produced upon striking an obstacle.

2. The. combination in a vehicle-fender, of a support, a fender having rearwardly-eX- tended arms mounted on said support, and

means connected therewith to prevent 1nward and upward motion of the fender end of said arms in any positionin which they maybe carried.

3. The combination in a vehicle-fender, of a support, fender-arms pivotally mounted intermediate their ends thereon, and means connected therewith for preventing inward and upward motion of the outer portions of said arms, permitting said fender to be depressed automatically upon striking an obstacle.

4. The combination in a vehicle-fender of a pivoted support, a fenderslidably mounted thereon, and meansto prevent other motion than a depression thereof automatically produced upon striking an obstacle.

5. The combination in a vehicle-fender, of a pivoted carrier, a fender slidably mounted therein, and a stop to prevent inward move ment of the fender in said carrier in any posi tion in which it may be carried.

6. The combination in a vehicle-fender, of a pivoted carrier, a fenderhaving arms slidably mounted therein, and a stop to. hold said fender in normal position, preventing its inward motion and causing impact with an obstacle to produce an automatic depression thereof.

7. The combination in a vehiclefender, of apivoted carrier, a fender slidably mounted therein, and means to prevent said fender from swinging upwardly when in operative position.

8. Thecombination in a vehicle-fender, of pivoted carriers, a fendernormally carried in an outer position having arms slidably connected with said carriers and provided with a-dependingfront, one or more rollers connected with said front adapted to run upon the rails or the ground when the fender is depressed, and one ormore stops intermediate the carrier and said arms, to prevent inward motion thereof and permit said fender being depressed automatically upon striking an obstacle.

9. The combination in a vehicle-fender, of hangers attached to a vehicle-body, a fender, means for pi'votally connecting it with said hangers arranged for preventing other movement than a depression thereof, automatically produced upon striking an obstacle, and means acting automatically to restore said fender to normal position when said obstacle is removed.

10. The combination in a vehicle-fender, of hangers attached to the vehicle-body, a carrier pivoted thereto, a fender loosely mounted in said carrier and means to prevent either upward or inward swing of said fender and other than a depression thereof automatically produced up on striking an obstacle.

11. The combination in a vehicle-fender, of hangers attached-to the vehicle-body, a cross-bar connected with said hangers, and a pivoted fender having hooks at its endsto engage said bar to prevent said fenderfrom being lifted.

12. The combination in a vehicle-fender, of hangers attached to the vehicle-body, a cross-bar connected with said hangers, and a pivoted fender having hooked ends to engage said bar and a spring bearing upon said fender, the hooked ends and spring holding the fenderin operative position.

13. The combination in a vehicle-fender, of a pivoted carrier, a fender-having an arm slidably mounted in said carrier, anda stoparm pivoted on said carrier bearing upon said arm to prevent inward movement of the fender in any position in which-it is supported.

14; The combination in a vehicle-fender, of'a pivoted'carrier, a fenderhaving an arm slidably mounted in said carrier, and a stoparm pivoted on said carrier, to cause the free end thereof to bear against said arm to lock the latter against sliding inwardly in said carrier in any position in which it issupported.

15. The combination in a vehicle-fender, of supporting-arms, a carrierpivotallyconnected therewith, a fender-arm slidably mounted in said carrier, means on said arm for holding the fender in operative position, and means intermediate the carrier and fender arm to prevent inward motion ofsaid arm and to permit an automatic depression of the fender upon striking an obstacle.

16. The combination in a vehicle-fender, of a supporting-frame adapted to hold a fender in normal and in inoperative positions, and means for pivoting thefender thereon'in normal position, to onlypermit it to be depressed, and means to holdthe fender-stationary in inoperative position.

17. Avehicle-fender comprisingra pivoted carrier, a fender'thereforarranged for automatic depression upon strikinganobstacle,

and means for elevating said fender after depression upon removal of said obstacle.

18. A vehicle-fender arranged for automatic depression upon striking an obstacle, provided with means acting automatically for restoring it to normal position when said obstacle is removed and means to prevent raising the outer end of said fender when in said normal position.

19. A vehicle-fender provided with means normally supporting it in an exterior position and adapted to be automatically depressed by striking an obstacle and moved into a position to prevent said obstacle from passing under it when struck thereby, and means for restoring said fender automatically to normal position when said obstacle is removed.

20. A vehicle-fender provided with rollers to facilitate moving it forward into a series of positions in front of a vehicle, means to prevent moving it inwardly from said positions, and means for rendering the latter inoperative.

21. A vehicle-fender comprising pivoted and slidable fenderarms provided with means for normally supporting them in an exterior position to prevent other motion than a depression thereof, automatically produced upon striking an obstacle.

22. A movable vehicle-fender having side arms, a tilting carrier therefor having rollers to facilitate movement of said arms, yielding means for normally holding said fender elevated, and a stop to prevent movement of said arms in said carrier in any position in which it may be carried to permit only of depression of said fender produced automatically upon striking an obstacle.

23. The combination in a vehicle-fender, of a support, a fender having rearwardly-extended arms mounted on said support, and means connected therewith to prevent upward motion of the outer end of said arms in any position in which they may be carried.

24. The combination in a vehicle-fender,

'of a support, fender-arms pivotally mounted be normally balanced in approximately horizontal position and means to prevent elevationof their outer ends and to permit of antomatic depression upon striking an obstacle.

26. In a vehicle-fender, fender-arms pivoted intermediate their ends and arranged to be normally balanced in approximately horizontal position, means to prevent elevation of their outer ends and to permit of automatic depression upon striking an obstacle, and means to restore said fender to normal position.

27. In a vehicle-fender, the combination of hangers arranged to pivotally support a fender to permit the latter to swing longitudinally of said vehicle and means to prevent lifting or elevating the front end of said fender or other motion than a depression thereof, automatically produced upon striking an obstacle.

28. In a vehicle-fender, the combination of hangers arranged to pivotally support a fender to ermit the latter to swing longitudinally of said vehicle, means to prevent lifting or elevating the front end of said fender or other motion than a depression thereof, automatically produced upon striking an obstacle, and means to restore it to normal position upon the removal of said obstacle.

29. In a vehicle-fender, inner and outer supports, a fender slidably mounted and normally maintained in approximately horizontal position thereon in inner or outer position, and means connected with said supports for permitting an automatic depression of said fender upon striking an obstacle. 30. In a vehicle-fender, inner and outer supports, a fender slidably mounted and normally maintainedin approximately horizon tal position thereon in inner or outer position, means connected with said supports for permitting an automatic depression of said fender upon striking an obstacle, and for restoring it to normal position upon removal of said obstacle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

A. PARKER SMITH, JR.

Witnesses:

ROBERT H. KAMMLER, SIDNEY F. SMITH. 

